Labs gust bergquist



L In, II

TTORNEY L. G. BLRGQUISI.'

FLUE CLEANER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I6. i919.

WITNESSES LABS GUST BERGQUIST, 0F SHAUNAVON, SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA.

FLUE-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led June 16, 1919. Serial No. 304,460.V

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LABS G. BnRGQUis'r, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Shaunavon, in the Province of Saskatche wan, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and useful F lue-Cleaner, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flue cleaners, and the object is to provide a device for use particularly by chimney cleaners, whereby the iiues of a chimney may be thoroughly cleaned of all accumulations of soot, etc.

Another object is to provide a devi-ce of this character which may be readily introduced into the flues of a chimney and made to traverse the same from top to bottom much in the same manner as the ordinary method of cleaning chimneys, the said device being so `constructed as to readily accommodate itself to flues of varying sizes, within certain limitations, and having no parts to catch or hang upon any chance projections that may be encountered within the chimney during such up-and-down movement of the cleaner.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specication; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of theV invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modied so long as such changes or modifications marl: no materialr departure from the salient features of the invention, as specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate correspending parts throughout the several figures;-q j

Figure l is a perspective view of the improved iiue cleaning device..

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional view of the device in position within the flue of a chimney.

In the ordinary method of cleaning fiues of chimneys, a small bush, bundle of twigs or a bundle of pieces of rattan or similar material is generally used by pulling the same up and down within said flue in order to dislodge such accumulations as may be found therein, which gravitate to the bottoni of the chimney and are gathered and removed. It is necessary to be constantly renewing such bundles either in whole or in part, as the individual pieces thereof catch in projections within the iiue and easily become broken, and when the bundle is thus more or less impaired, it becomes useless.`

The present invention aims to provide a practically indestructible flue cleaner which will adapt itself to flues of different sizes and having cutting/means which will practically scrape all four walls, of a rectangular flue, thus effectually removing all accumulations encountered therein and thoroughly cleaning the same. i

The device consists of four equal, flexible rings or bands 1, formed of fiat, spring steel made into a continuous hoop and preferably having no seam or,j oint. At diainetrically opposite points, approximately at the trans verse center, these rings are suitably apertured for the reception of rivets 2 which are employed to secure the said rings or hoops l to angular securing plates` or angle irons,

having wings 3 and 4, which are likewise suitably apertured for the reception of the said rivets 2, which traverse the corresponding apertures in the wings of the angular securing plates and the rings for holding the latter in positi-on with relation to each other, in the following described novel manner:

The rings l are arranged in pairs, one opposite to the other and spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the width of the largest Hue that may have to be cleaned.

vTwo pairs of equally spaced rings are thus provided which are located at right angles to each other, one corresponding side of each ring lying in overlapping relation to each of the other correspondng sides of the adjacent ring and rigidly held in suoli lposition by the angularsecuring plates being secured thereto by the rivets 2. The wing 3 of each angular plate is somewhat wider than the wing 4 and is adapted to be placed against the inner face 0f one ring, while the said wing l is adapted to be placed against the outer face of the next adjacent ring, as clearly shown in the drawing, thus, after being riveted, securely holding the rings each with one side overlapping upon the outside of the Y neXt adjacent ring in one direction.

'The wider wing 3 is thus directed toward the center of the overlapping ring at that side and is provided with the perforations 5 .Patented Nov. 11, 1919.

' into which theen'dsof strands 6, preferably Y the rectangle formedl bythe several rings 1.

' and down within the flue of a chimney for Vof wire, vare'passed and .suitably twisted or otherwise secured, as indicated at 7, the looped' ends of the said strands being brought Vtogether and twisted into terminal eyes 8 and located in alinernentvwith the center of The eyes -8 are adapted to be secured to the `ends ofsuitable wires orropes, (not shown) `for-the purposeof drawing'the device up the vpurpose of cleaning the same.

When it is desired to clean a chimney, one

i i ofthe operatorsascendsto the top thereof and by lowering the weighted end of one of A the wires or cords down the iue, the other operator maygrasp the same and, as vwill be seen, the device may be forcibly drawn Vthrough the iiueA from top to bottom and backl to-the top again, the operation being repeated several times, until all the accumulations are removed, the fiexiblerings 1 expanding in an up and down direction to accommodate themselves to the diEerent size flues and closely hugging the walls thereof in 'an apparent/manner, and as clearly illustrated in Fig.V 3 of the drawing.

In the event'of there being only one op- Y erator at work, the lowermost eye 8 Vmay be suitably weighted to provide the necessary @pull Vdow'nward'to cause the device to repeatedly traverse 'the entire length of the flue. l Y

From the foregoing it will be vseen that an extremelysimple and' cheaply manufactured iiue cleaning device has been provided 'which may be easily operated, which will Vthe tops and bottoms. l i 2. Aiiue cleaner comprising four resilient rings or bands larrangedin thejform ofpa V'side of the neXt succeeding rino* rectangle and disposed vertically so as to present their outer edges against the walls of the flue, plates connecting the adjacent rings or bands, and means for raising and loweringr the cleaner connected to said plates. Y

3. A flue cleaner comprising four resilient rings or bands vertically arranged forming Aa rectangle, the one side of each ring placed to the outside and overlapping the adjacent side of the next succeeding ring, and means for rigidly securing the rings together at the points where they overlap.

4. A flue cleaner comprising a plurality of flexible rings having a relative arrangement coinciding with the walls of a line, and angle irons or plates secured to the abutting sides of adjacent rings, and connecting them togetherin the form of a rectangle.

5. A iue cleaner comprising a plurality of iexible rings vertically arranged with the edge of each ring overlapping that of the next succeeding ring, securing plates located at said points of overlapping, said plates comprising right-angle wings, one wing being riveted to the inner face of the adjacent portion of the inner ring and the other wing being riveted to the outer face of the overlapping portion of the other ring, and means for raising and lowering the device.

6. A flue cleaner comprising four resilient rings or bands vertically arranged to form a rectangle, the side of each ring placedrto the outside and overlapping the adjacent g, an angle iron located at each point of juncture and having wings one of which is riveted to the outer face of the outer ring and the other wing is riveted to the inner face of the next ring and extended inwardly toward the center of the first-named ring and provided with apertures, wire strands having their terminals secured in said apertures and brought above and below the device and there twisted into eyes for connection to raising and lowering ropes or strands.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.`

LARS GUST BERGQUIST. Witnesses:

GLADYS PRESTON, Gr. PREsToN.

' copies of thjisfpatent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

. Washington, D. G. 

